The government and the ruling camp are issuing mixed messages over the bid for the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic. The Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party criticized the Dukovany nuclear power plant contract as "a deficit order that drains taxpayers' money" and "a slave contract," and are even calling for the contract to be reviewed. Intensive questioning on the Czech nuclear power plant order is expected at the National Assembly audit next month.
However, President Lee Jae-myung, at a meeting with the Czech president on the 23rd (local time) during the United Nations General Assembly, boasted of the outcome regarding the nuclear order, saying it "was based on the Czech side's high evaluation of the excellent capabilities of Korean corporations."
President Lee held his first summit with the Czech president and discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, including the Dukovany nuclear power plant project. Lee said, "I hope cooperation between the two countries will expand beyond nuclear power to semiconductors, electric vehicles, and the defense industry, and develop on a mutually beneficial basis."
The Dukovany nuclear power plant project involves Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power supplying two APR1000 units, a 1,000-megawatt-class Korean nuclear reactor, to the Dukovany region of the Czech Republic. The total project cost is about 407 billion koruna (about 26 trillion won). The two leaders did not mention the allegations of a low-priced bid raised in domestic politics or the controversy over the contract with Westinghouse.
In the Czech Republic, manufacturing such as automobiles and machinery accounts for 23% of gross domestic product (GDP · Gross Domestic Product), similar to Korea (28%). The Czech Republic chose nuclear power as a cheap and stable source of electricity. The goal for the Dukovany plant is to begin construction in 2029 and start commercial operation by 2038.
At a press briefing, President Lee also said, "We should use the existing nuclear plants well, and if safety is ensured even after their operating life, extend and use them, and take a practical approach to building plants that are already under construction," adding, "There is no change in the energy mix policy of reasonably blending nuclear power and renewable energy."
The broader ruling camp says it is concerned about "waste of taxpayers' money" regarding the Czech nuclear contract and is calling for a full review. The ruling camp plans to file to summon former KHNP President Hwang Ju-ho as a witness at next month's National Assembly audit to raise the issue.
With the recent government reorganization, there are concerns that splitting nuclear industry policy to the Ministry of Climate and Energy and nuclear exports to the existing Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy could weaken export momentum.
A nuclear industry official said, "Many private corporations participate in nuclear projects, and the claim that these corporations signed a slave contract while running a deficit does not make sense," adding, "Such claims do not help the national interest when a nuclear wind is blowing around the world."